A man born on March 1, 1929 is defined
by his business acumen and the urge to give back to the society.
Through the joint family business that spans over 45 countries with
interest in almost all-household commodities production, he’s truly
a Captain of Industry. He’s chairman of the lucrative Comcraft
Group which is a business that over 50 years grown to a $ 2.5 billion
business empire.
After attending elementary and
secondary school in Mombasa, he left for India. He started his
engineering profession in Jamnagar India University, Bombay BSc 1949
before leaving for Oklahoma for BSc and masters in 1950. He has
served as director of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ltd and
chairperson of Kenya Association of Manufacturers.
“Every day is a
celebration. Now, you must believe in it. You cannot be believing in
it and then you could be mourning. So I think that’s a philosophy.”
A quote from Manu
Chandaria
He’s on the Boards of:
Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd Kaluworks
Ltd Aluminum Africa Ltd (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
Uganda Baati Ltd (Kampala, Uganda)
He also sits on the Boards of:
Bank of India Advisory Committee in
Nairobi (Chairman) Kenindia Assurance Co Ltd (Vice-Chair)
East Africa Reinsurance Co Ltd
(Vice-Chair) University of Nairobi Enterprises and Services Ltd
He’s credited with the founding
of:
East African Business Council Kenya
Private Sector Alliance
The Chandaria Business Innovation and
Incubation Center (Kenyatta University)
Apart from his service and success in
the private sector, Manu has also been an eminent figure in serving
the country through the many government appointments he has had. Some
of his appointments include:
Trustee & Chairman of the Street
Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund
Member of the National Economics &
Social Council Member of the Police Reforms Task Force
Member of the Environment Policy
National Steering Committee
Member of the Capital Markets Authority
Board Member of the Insurance Advisory Board
Member of National Disaster Emergency
Fund Committee (This was after the 1998 Bombing)
If there is a businessperson whose name
is synonymous to both charity and philanthropy, it is Manu Chandaria.
His philanthropy work in Kenya and Asia has great resemblance to that
of the Rockefeller Foundation. He is the chairman of the Chandaria
Foundation, the family foundation with interest in Education and
Health which started in 1952. Other Charitable works include:
Asian Foundation (Founding
chair) Starehe Girls Centre (Chair) Limuru Girls Centre (Chair)
Kenya Ear Foundation (Chair) The Heart
Foundation (Trustee) Rotary Club of Nairobi (Past Chair)
Goodwill Ambassador (Word Wildlife Fund
(WWF)) Pan African Parliament (Trustee)
Undungu Society of Kenya (Trustee)
Watoto Kwanza Trust (Founding Chair and trustee)
Global School Business Network (GSBN)
(Advisor) World Jain Confederation (Trustee)
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with OBE
(Order of the British Empire) honoured him in 2003. In the same year,
His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki also awarded him with EBS (Elder
of the Burning Spear). He also has many honours, notably a record
three-year in a row most respected CEO in East Africa (2000, 2001,
and 2002), Jawaharlal Nehru Excellence Award (1989), and Lifetime
Achievement Award in Delhi India (2008).
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